WHAT'S WRONG at QATAR AIRWAYS? 15 Hours in the Q Suite... or so I thought

[@scottnichols3685]

Great report, as usual, Patrick. Qatar’s bait-and-switch between the QSuite and these seriously deficient, worn out 1990s style Business seats is outrageous. It’s like booking in at the Ritz Carlton and ending up at the Days Inn.

[@AnetaMihaylova-d6f]

😅 very funny

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Well put… ha! Thanks man!

[@MrWardnine]

Agree just been through this on 4 flights last week Real con

[@inuvik5374]

A 100 million dollar fine should do the trick . No need for long speeches .

[@JeanClaudeCOCO]

They’re scammers for real. I would be P. No wonder so many people bail on the switch. Like how TF you expect me to switch to a different Qsuite flight when there is no guarantee it will be Qsuite. They probably do it to fill these seats without letting the public know it’s a downgrade. That is a scam but then Qatar the country won’t let you sued them. Once they have it sold out they send emails a few days to let you know Sorry you’ve been con.

[@user-jwill]

The bait and switch thing would’ve infuriated me especially after all that planning and anticipation. I like how you include the entire take off and landing rolls and views from the windows. Most reviewers cut those in favor of the sound of their own voice. Half the fun of flying is the window views which many seem to forget. So I hope you always keep that in. 🙌🙌🙌

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Totally man! Thanks!

[@michaelfavourites6395]

Well said, agree on all counts

[@YUANLINLIANG]

This shows exactly why SQ would still be my No.1 airline 😂😂Just for the simple matter of consistency. Their "worst" regional seats are also the best seats Turkish Airline has to offer at the moment. So if there is ever a plane swap, it could only gets better.

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

That’s fair enough. I do love flying with SQ

[@onionslaps]

That’s not entirely true. Some Turkish A350s have sliding doors, similar to a Qsuite (planes were originally intended for Aeroflot). They’ve been in service for quite a while now and certainly better than the seat you’re referring to

[@NY.80]

BY FAR the best travel vlogger on KZbin.

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Thanks man! Good to hear it

[@user-wv1yt]

Now, this is what I call a review. Wonderful job

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Thanks man! I appreciate it

[@EdwardDanielBaldeviano]

When I first saw your IG post promoting this content, I scratched my head in disbelief upon scrolling to the picture of that 2-2-2 business class. I'm really rooting for you to get the updated QSuites, but, in typical Qatar Airways fashion, you were left disappointed. If I can remember, it was Nonstop Dan who compelled the airline's management to implement an airline-wide decree where those who booked for QSuites but got a last-minute equipment swap to a worse plane can change FOR FREE. That kind of perk wouldn't fly if Al Baker was still in-charge, if you know what I mean. Nonetheless, I'm grateful that you were still able to show us the experience of THAT particular business class product, despite having a feeling of disappointment. Not to mention, you even hopped on a rare white QR livery! Speaking of your remark at the end of the video, I haven't experienced any equipment swap on all my flights, and I hope I won't have to deal with one. Back in my first trip to Japan, I was hyping myself by watching the cabin preview of Philippine Airlines' A321neo, but I ended up flying their older, LCC-style, classic A321 en route to Narita and back. I just hope that PAL's refurbishment of all their classic A321s would be as quick as possible, since their new planes might have delayed deliveries in the coming years.

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Definitely a bummer to be switched. I was glad to have to option to change my flight, although it was a bit too last minute for me on this one, so I guess I’ll have to see if I can make it work out someday

[@willw7050]

The problem with Qatar Business, is that their hard-product is too inconsistent. There are 5 different seat-configurations. 1:- The QSuites (773s, A351000s). 2:- The usual reverse-herringbone seats (A380s, 788s, A358). 3:- The Suites seats (789s). 4:- These old 2x2x2 seats (773s, A330s). 5:- The ex -Cathay 773's ,with their own different Biz-class seats. You may get an aircraft swap without much notice!! Thus the product you thought you bought, isn't the product you got. Happened to me a few times😣

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Good point. Similar to how I feel about Delta One and their many products as well. At least Delta does far less equipment swaps

[@Tee55118]

EK does the opposite: only two models--A380 and B777. All other aircraft are done by thier discount line FlyDubai.

[@ScottMatthews-gk8ef]

Kudos to the passenger who kept their window shade open 😎

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

100%!!!

[@k9killer221]

We had an ATC strike in Australia in the late 1980s. My mother's downgrade was from a 737 to an RAAF C-130 with bench seats. Free ear plugs though and box lunch of sandwiches.

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Dang… that’s a whole other ballgame

[@res887]

I’m glad I didn’t have a bad equipment swap. In fact, the best swap I had was from UA 788 (28J) to 763 (46J), and I even cleared a CPU on it!

[@nettajhhayes]

Just returned from Dubai (DFW - DOH) first time flying Qatar. Thankfully, they didn't switch up on us until the connect flight (DOH -DXB), but we knew that ahead of time, and it wasn't this much older version.

[@thepinkpony]

might sound weird but I actually don't mind the older seat! I really like the sense of space around you. The service is the same, Qsuite is great but there is a lot of hard product around you. The new lounge is my favourite !

[@williamavery5322]

Prefer it as it is much easier for your legs. Honestly don't know the issue. If flying as a couple it's much much better and feels like such a spacious cabin. Best flights have been on this old seat.

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Definitely not alone in that praise. Just a tough contrast to what was advertised. I do know quite a few people who do like the more open concepts thoigh

[@williamavery5322]

@@PatrickSheaAviation get your point and definitely would look dated by comparison.

[@raymonandrewkoh7182]

Their menu, their in-flight meals are amazing. Another wonderful vid from you ✈️🌏🎥

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Thanks man! Definitely a god tier soft product

[@JohnMc1722]

As a gold member with Qatar airways I don't find their meals amazing.

[@charlesduran8700]

I flew On Qatars Q suite on their A350 -1000 from Doha - Nairobi and that was an experience you did not have to want for anything . I was Impressed . Now my return flight back to Doha was on Qatar's A330-300 and it was the same as your experience on your trip tp Sao Polo but I had an isle seat in the middle section

[@botruong4102]

Thank you Patrick, great vlog as always.

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Thanks!

[@tekkieman]

Same thing happened to me a year ago from DOH to PHL. People were pissed.

[@qn8307]

Yep, happened to me too DOH-DFW. I suspect they know full well what they're doing with the bait and switch. Unlikely to book these old world rug merchants ever again, darn shame.

[@LinwoodPowell]

⁠@@qn8307”old world rug merchants” that’s funny. The issue is they don’t like to send new planes to smaller markets like DFW and PHL. They only make money when you come to Qatar, not when you leave.

[@lauramckenzie3801]

@@qn8307 When did that happen to you? And how much notice did you receive? What seat configuration did you end up with? I am flying next year DFW-DOH and returning DOH-DFW. Did they offer to let you make a free switch?

[@qn8307]

@@lauramckenzie3801 Hi, that was QR731 in early March 2023. Back then, it was the early flight of two-a-day to DFW marketed as 777 Qsuite when I booked. No offer to switch. The later flight QR 729(?) was always a A350. I got an email couple hours I think before flight time, having flown in from HAN seven hours earlier. I expressed my displeasure to the gate agent printing my new boarding pass, and he just gave me a card with an email where I can file a complaint. Definitely felt like it was something not new to him. Now I think both flights are A350s so would think you are safe. Yep, was pissed off royally and feeling ripped off so swore them off after 16 hours on the 2-2-2 with a plus lady in the aisle seat that I had to step over to get out while she was sprawled out asleep. Never worked up the energy to file a complaint; I've read too many to think that this was anything but unintentional on their part.

[@antjee]

​@@LinwoodPowellgood point

[@CraziiTiger]

11/10 on the takeoff background music!

[@widget787]

My worst equipment swap was not really a swap, it was a cancellation. I was looking forward to fly on a big Embraer for the first time (E195) on Austrian from Vienna to Hamburg. More or less right before boarding they canceled the flight and rebooked us on a bloody A320 two hours later. We had seats all over the place, they did not want to help us sit together, we had to take care of this ourselves. We arrived a little over two hours later so we are entitled for compensation and they reclined to pay. This is one of many bad experience with LH group airlines over the past few years and one of the reasons why I am not flying on any Lufthansa airlines anymore.

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Sheesh... that sucks!

[@johnmills1675]

U did great job describing the garden area of the airport. We flew q suites from Atlanta to Riyadh in February which meant we had first class tickets to Riyadh from Doha which allowed us into first class lounge and both business class lounges. The first class lounge is really a lounge inside an Islamic art museum. Not to be missed!

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Defintely great lounges. The first class lounge in Doha is one of my favorites. One of the few lounges I've actually paid for

[@LoganAviation]

I flew from DXB-DOH-DFW-MSP for $2,300 USD back in July, and I was originally scheduled to fly on a Boeing 777-300ER for the DXB-DOH leg. Just before boarding, we were notified of an equipment swap. Now granted, it was an A350-1000 with the QSuites, but it was definitely a surprise. That was my first taste of the Dreaded Qatar Airways equipment swap.

[@timor64]

This "change of equipment" stunt is something both Qatar and Etihad pull at the last minute. The aim is to fly full planes.

[@nonstops_aviation]

My grandparents recently flew Qatar from Miami to Bangkok via DOH and they liked it a lot the worst part is that I could've gone but couldn't because I couldn't miss 2 weeks of school without serious consequences. My worst equipment swap would've probably been Spirit swapping my A320neo to a standard A320 like a year ago and I initially was upset about American Airlines swapping my 777-300ER to a 200ER but I soon realized it wasn't a bad thing at all since I was flying economy (which the seats are the exact same) and my seat on the 772 was in better shape than mine in the 77W lol.

[@DesertGuy3268]

Great video , , and finally a voice you can listen to (not high piece n squeaky) 👏🏻👍 , , for me it's still Singapore , Emirates , Qatar‼

[@RafaRadityo7]

Uhh you should probably rename the chapter.... Currently it says 'Hamas Airport'

[@cnx5134]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@ictoan]

How so

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Sheesh man… good catch…

[@christianbayerstein5243]

it is 🙂

[@Sidthedentist]

Well technically it is…

[@avgaskoolaid4572]

Foul bil Tahini (Fava Beans with Tahini), the Arabic bean dish you had for breakfast is pronounced like "Fool". You pronounced Tahini (sesame paste) right. And the second word is "bil", not 'bin', which basically means "with". "bin" actually means 'son of'. Someone named Ahmad whose father is Mohammad could be called "Ahmad bin Mohammad" for example, so it's like saying "Fava Beans, son of Tahini"! No worries though, the words can be confusing for someone who doesn't speak Arabic and isn't familiar with the dish. I hope you enjoyed it, it's one of my favorite simple breakfasts. If you liked it, you can get it in the US in canned form at any arabic/mediterranean grocery store or sometimes at Indian/South Asian or Eastern European stores.

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Good to know! Thanks mate!

[@gregecker184]

My worst equipment swap was from Munich-San Francisco on United “Polaris” in 2021 of course when I looked at the seat map a couple of days before it was the new Polaris seat. When I get onboard it was the old 2-2-2. Still a good experience but definitely made me mad.

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Ouch that sucks! At least the product is streamlined with United by now

[@ukdavepianoman]

Very frustrating to lose out on Q-suites and finish up in a very old, poor business class seat - especially on a 15 hour flight. Everything else looked great. I know aircraft changes do happen for "operational reasons" as they put it - but they should at least offer some sort of compensation. Very good and informative video.

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Thanks! Definitely super frustrating when stuff like this happens. Hopefully my time with the q suites will happen soon enough. You’re spot on that the soft product was still money though

[@JohnSavoia-d2d]

I've flown the "old" 2x2x2 Biz Class and the Q Suites and to be honest the only drawback is that you have to climb over your neighbor...the Q Suites are tight and you feel more open with the old seats.

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

It’s an interesting take but you aren’t alone in that thought it seems based on the comments

[@WadersInAlaska]

This old configuration of the 2x2x2 in Qatar's Biz Class has another grave flaw and that's the slanted-style bed. As a disabled person, this style is extremely uncomfortable and painful for my particular disability to use. When I pay for a QSuites seat 4 months in advance and it turns out not 100% flat as they have sold me and my timetable isn't flexible, then we have a problem, Houston.

[@Greg_P611]

This is by far the best airline in my opinion

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

It definitely can be great…. Other times you get something like this and it’s a bit disappointing

[@jimmyjames6492]

Thanks for the info + video!

[@timothyshepodd7826]

My worst equipment swap AMS-SFO. BA took us out of A380 First/Concorde room and put us in United coach - middle of the middle for 12h. Still working on the compensation 3Mo after the flight. Blessings!

[@internationAL21]

My heart goes out to you - that’s a triple downgrade. seriously, BA is just the worst😢

[@internationAL21]

“Lipstick on a pig!”. Ha, love it. I admire the way you handled this downgrade - great stoicism. I flew this BC product from Phuket to Doha. That was fine in 2017 but is unacceptable in 2024. still, it could have been worst and you could have been in Emirates shocking 2-3-2 configuration .

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Dang… that one hurts!

[@Wolfsgarde]

The Lufthansa Allegris was never planned on the 2.5.. So actually it was not an equipment swap. Because they just had one plane with the new cabin they alternate it between YVR and YYZ.

[@gunvaldsandhaland7757]

Great Trip Report And Info

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Thanks!

[@miguelbenedicto2172]

Happened to me in the same route. I was really disappointed as I was looking forward to the Qsuite. But the soft product was great indeed, and the flight was still enjoyable

[@zestd3722]

Solid work and vid! Sucks about the plane change though.

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Thanks man! Definitely sucks

[@rais1953]

Qatar was blocked by Qantas lobbying last year when they applied for more flights to Australia's 4 main airports. Qantas has made itself quite unpopular in Australia in recent years with indifferent service so the refusal caused an outcry. Now Qatar has offered to buy a 25% stake in Virgin Australia and the offer's been accepted. It's planned that from 2025 Virgin Australia will sell flights to Doha using "wet leased" aircraft supplied by Qatar, doubling the number of Qatar flights and enabling Virgin Australia to compete on international routes with Qantas while providing Qatar with more seamless domestic connections. Qantas may have to improve its service and offer more competitive prices! 😊

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Super interesting! Great stuff man. I’ll be super curious to see what comes out of that

[@Thesmellofrain-h6o]

The weird, lamp-in-the-head teddy bear is just creepy. It is a great place to meet & take selfies but I still don’t get it. It’s as creepy as the giant blue horse with red eyes at Denver International Airport. I chuckle. P.S. last minute fleet changes happen all of the time.

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Last minute aircraft swaps, sure. But it’s a little different when the experience is such a shift. I had United change my aircraft type a week ago but still ended up in the same type of seat. This is a whole experience swap

[@Thesmellofrain-h6o]

@@PatrickSheaAviation Absolutely, however I’ve experienced last minute equipment changes that didn’t have the product that I paid for too.

[@user-wv1yt]

I'm glad somebody else feels that way. That's the ugliest piece of sculpture I have ever seen

[@PaulStewartAviation]

Wow that's quite a downgrade. I recall booking a Qatar A359 many years ago but it changed to an A330, but then changed back to the A359 the day before the flight. That was a relief as I was only flying via Doha to get the A350.

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Dang... the 330-350 swap is a total game-changer!

[@Avgeeks39]

Hiya Patrick, Came to your lovely city of San Francisco and landed back in the UK today!! Absolutely loved it!! My only question - do the locals take the trolleys and cable cars or do they stay away due to tourists?

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

That’s awesome! We love our city! But we do stay away from the cable cars like the plague. When I have friends or family come to town that demand we do it for fun we never go to the end of the line. We go one stop up and there’s no line. But it’s definitely an inefficient way to get around and we consider it the same as a ride at Disney basically. We got our busses and light rails for most locals

[@Avgeeks39]

@@PatrickSheaAviation I did think that. $8 one way per person is insane, but it’s something you do once to say you’ve done it. In my opinion, and nothing biased, I genuinely prefer your city to NYC - as New York is very touristy and always smells of substances. You’re very lucky to live where you do!!

[@warrenfreitag8631]

Well ... I'm not Patrick but I do live here so I'll answer. Cable cars are really just for tourists.

[@kevin19358]

5:26, Except Bangkok and Istanbul, they don't have train and skytrain, you have to walk from departure hall after security to the gates and it takes more than half an hour to 40 minutes, so you have to arrive in the airport less than 3 hours before the flight if you can.

[@allstarpilot777]

Great video and great narration! Appreciate your Arabic pronunciations a lot! You really need to compare this to Turkish airlines. I fly Turkish airlines yearly to anywhere I go internationally and I flew on Qatar once on the 777-200LR as well. If you do end up flying them, try to get a spot on their new business class on their 787 or A350. Inshallah you get to try it! Great vids as always!

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Turkish is on my list for sure! Hoping to get on that soon. It’ll be great to compare it

[@melbourneplanespotter3631]

Seems like you've been flying a fair bit in and out of Sao Paulo? Is it due to better award seat availability?

[@YESHIVA2919]

Cheap Qatar fares from Cairo in Business class for $1000 one way.

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

SP is cheaper typically, plus it has a ton of fun flights to take in and out

[@KAMU13]

You can also access first Class lounge if you’re an Emerald member; I have AA Platinum Pro or Exec. and use this approach always. Anyway, this plane swap happened with me once while flying from ATL to DOH back in 2019. I dislike 2-2-2 configuration business flights, plus privacy is minimal. Food was okay. Overall, there’s marked difference between these seats and Qsuites - no comparison

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

I do love that first class lounge! Almost makes you forget that you're being screwed in a 2-2-2 seat lol

[@TheOnlyNoIan]

My worst equipment swap was when I was scheduled on a delta a350-900 (in a DL One Suite) and it got downgraded to an a321. Was a domestic flight, but I canceled it anyway.

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Sheesh that sucks

[@TheOnlyNoIan]

@@PatrickSheaAviation also have an upcoming united flight that was switched from a 788 to a 739 in Polaris!

[@maxdee1820]

Great video! My flight from Manila to Doha changed equipment twice but I ended up in a q-suite! Just curious, what kind of passengers are flying São Paulo/Doha? Are they mostly those connecting to Japan/China?

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Dang! At least you ended up with the q suite after the ordeal. Idk about the normal loads on this flight, but this one seemed to be about 2/3 or more connecting from China and Japan

[@mushy240]

Same thing happened to me from LHR-DOHA and I only received the equipment change notification after I had checked in at the airport and passed security so there was no option to rebook 😢

[@realman6ft6]

Another great video and Patrick wasn’t at all salty about the seat type going to São Paulo….. not at all…😢

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Ha… thanks man

[@scpatl4now]

You mentioned lots of cities, but Qatar also flies to Atlanta. I was kind of surprised about that.

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

They do a great job at reaching major hubs of all airlines… except for Latin America

[@ahmadzahid266]

I didn’t expect Qatari still using old seats for ultra long whole flight! Some airlines with old seats using for shorter, high density or demand until at least retrofitted with new seats!

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

I definitely wouldn’t have imagined they’d even risk this cabin on a flight like this. Looks like it flies to Miami sometimes too. Another flight well over 10 hours

[@WadersInAlaska]

I am flying Qatar QSuites RT from SEA to DOHA in Jan 2025. I paid a small fortune for these seats, hopefully, they won't switch at the last minute. I really thought the bait-and-switch routine was over with them because of all the bad publicity they have received. We shall see! fingers crossed

[@haraldarendsen9372]

It is even worse. I booked a flight for this december from SIN to AMS via Daho and i especially chooose Qsuites and you have to pay extra for that.. During booking at Qatar website, it is mentioned (so that is at least fair) that Qsuites are not guaranteed and if you do not get Qsuites, you do NOT get the money back I had to pay extra. And that last part is very weird. You pay a little bit extra but when Qatar cannot deliver, you loose your money. I still booked it and i just pray for the best. But still weird way of doing business.

[@sirhotlaps5371]

I suppose the answer to the unasked question is in your comment itself. You were made aware of the nonsense of being asked to pay more, for a product that they won't guarantee and that they won't refund you for if they fail to provide and instead of canceling and flying with SIA or another carrier, you chose to reward that business practice and give them your hard earned money.

[@haraldarendsen9372]

@@sirhotlaps5371 yes i did. You have a problem with that? It is very rare that i can afford buss class and travel so far. Looking at what i could afford and fits in my time table, Qatar was the best option despite their ptractises. Life is not so black and white you make it look. SIA was too expensive. When the choice is there, it will impact my choice.

[@Sydorrah]

What a disappointment. Lipstick on a pig 😂 I agree. I do wish they had to compensate everyone this happens to, maybe then they'd stop since they would lose money. A 2 2 2 on a long haul is downright diabolical. Another great descriptive video

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Honestly their best bet would be to stop advertising the Q Suite to everyone if they can’t offer it on the majority of their routes… plus launch this cabin into the sun

[@noken11]

I flew Perth Australia to Doha, A380, upgraded to first class. Doha to Athens same business class seats as you had, no Q suites. 😢. Only 5 hours though.

[@ddslayer6]

Never been qatar'd per say, but you got the hard end of the stick here, would of definetly been calling my bank haha..

[@LinwoodPowell]

I have an upcoming equipment swap on Egypt Air. I booked JFK to DXB via Cairo. The Cairo to DXB was on a 789 when I booked it but they changed it to an A330 some weeks ago.

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

That sucks big time fosho. At least it’s on the shorter route

[@philcfc19051]

Worst equipment swap. We were travelling from ORD to SEA back in the day when we had a DC-10 on the run. Day of travel the 10 downgraded to B757. An uncomfortable 4.5 hour flight stuck in the middle seat of 3. Only consolation was a glass of free Champagne (Sparkling Wine) to celebrate Thanks Giving.

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Narrow to widebody always sucks… good for some champagne at least!

[@davenorth2903]

Last time I did Dallas to Doha they did an equipment switch on me. Crew were great but the hard product was pretty awful for the price. Great review.

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Sounds about right for the average QR experience. Thanks!

[@lauramckenzie3801]

When did that happen to you? What seat configuration did you end up on? Did they offer to let you switch for free? Like perhaps change to the next day's flight?

[@davenorth2903]

@@lauramckenzie3801 - They switched me from QSuite to the old 2 x 2 x 2. No option to change to the next day.

[@christianbayerstein5243]

well, that is always the risk you face when an airline does not offer a consistent business class product. Qatar Airways has so many different business class products, the QSuite, the Business Suite in the new Dreamliner, the Super Diamond reverse herringbone , the 2-2-2 Diamond seat, the old minipods you got, the reverse herringbone Cathay Pacific seats and a recliner for short haul. But even the old seats you got are much better than the narrow 2-3-2 sliders in Emirates 777 that make up for 50 % of their fleet. By the way , those old minipods are 180 degree flat, even if you felt a slight angle that is just because the seats are worn out, which is a well known problem of those old minipods. Some airlines fixed that with ottomans for the feet to relieve the seats. 🙂

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Definitely always a risk. Sucks when there’s this much of a contrast however. Definitely in their best interest to streamline the experience a bit more

[@simplicated99]

I frequently fly between NYC and Asia for work. I would never fly Qatar just because of the chance of getting equipment swapped. Would rather fly with carriers like ANA, SQ or Emirates.

[@ohheyitskevinc]

29:36 “beware of the clandestine transportation”. They need to have that sign going into the airport too 🙈

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Ha! If only we knew what we were in for…

[@paulkazzer]

Qatar is buying a 25% share in Virgin Australia and wet leasing its aircraft to VA to allow additional Australian services shared with VA. Qatar flies some of the old 777s used on VA’s previous US flights so it will be ironic if they now fly under a VA flight code again. Thanks for a great review.

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Good info. Thanks!

[@johnmurphy4814]

I flew Qatar recently, never again. Because I complained about something, my hand luggage got an extra search, including a swab taken & the operator claimed a 'positive test' for something but declined to answer what, exactly, it was 'positive' for. After about 15 minutes, a bunch of security turned up & further swabs taken, all without answering what, exactly, they were 'testing' for - it was clearly testing me for having the audacity to make a valid complaint. After another 10 minutes or so, they claimed the first test had been a false posiive, but again refused to tell me what for. Given the accuracy of tests these days, there must have been an indication they could refer to. But no, they had nothing. I am 100% positive this was a punishment for complaining, not even in question, their bullying attitude dispersed after I demanded to know the details. So no, Qatar are not 'the number 1 airline', they're a bunch of incompetent bullies and liars. Never again will I even board one of their aircraft, not even for a free flight. Scumbags. It was a shame as the aircrew were lovely, but a-holes in transit killed the deal for me, lying about something with such potentially serious consequences is disgusting. Be warned😅

[@acrichton0]

The saddest equipment swap for me was ANA from ORD to HND. Almost always new first class but my flight was swapped out for old first class. A similar downgrade to yours except in first. I eventually did get to travel in "The Suite" - it was great. Still like Singapore and Etihad A380 first better than ANA, though Qatar first A380 was also really great.

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Dang man that totally sucks!

[@sidhantwadhera159]

earlier this year I was booked on an a330neo on VS upper class from BOS to LHR, but got equipment swapped to their only a330-300 with the weird direct eye contact seats. at least that was a 1-1-1 situation, the 2-2-2- sounds absolutely miserable

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Ouch. That sucks…

[@biralp9317]

The good news is that it will be A350-1000 one flight out of 2; starting this 27 October;

[@silverkijh]

Qatared. Sorry about that. Great video as always. 👍🏻

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Thanks man

[@franciscogutierrez3768]

Nice trip review on how Qatar connects Brazil and South America with Asia. Too bad about the equipment change.

[@gopakumarsudhir4766]

My experience with Qatar was rather poor lately, especially after COVID. I had booked their business class well in advance. When I arrived at the airport at LHR to check in, I was asked whether I would fly economy as they were overbooked!!! Needless to say I politely refused, even when I was fuming inside. And on my return flight, I was asked whether I could fly in economy and this time, their reason was even more interesting... they told me that their crew had a long night, the night before and they wanted to take rest in my business class seat, which I had paid for well in advance!!! An airline which looks after their employees really well, buy not their paying customers!!! Never again in Qatar Airways. I have found Emirates to have fantastic service every time, be it, in flight, airport lounge, airport security, or the included transfer service, to and from the airport. Etihad comes very close too. And as mentioned in this video, Air India seems to be heading that way too. I did two recent international flights with Air India Business and they were very good.

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Sheesh thats wild. Seems to be par for them at this point though. Qatar seems to be losing the plot. At least they have the money to keep buying their 5-star rating... lol

[@michaelj3282]

I live near Dubai, and I refuse to pay EKs prices (and I used to work for them), won't be ripped off, so if I go to Europe, the USA or Asia for example, I fly Oman Air or Qatar, cheaper and better and so what if it's an extra 2 hours.

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Interesting. I still haven’t flown Oman Air, but they got me curious for sure

[@LeoTravellerBR]

Correction: There is no Indian diaspora in Brazil. But the biggest Lebanese diaspora.

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

I’ve seen some large groups of Indians in Brazil, but the Lebanese diaspora is interesting!

[@NoorNoor-ul5zh]

Qatar Airways is with excellent trained staff or the worst staff in Business class! There is NO in between. You pay a lot of money for very lack of service, grumpy, or too flirty to MAN! I’ve seen them all! Boarding is mostly also very non organized! Lounge employees are also always overworked. Yes I love the Q-suite but the old 777 product isn’t worth the price.

[@malpalmer3269]

These 2-2-2 seats should be premium economy really

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Forreal… it totally sucks seeing that onboard

[@ianhamilton396]

The Bait and Switch is obviously standard business procedure. Ask Josh Cahill.

[@neilcharles2520]

Fish egg is something i could never get used to,a friend of mine owned a Caviar store on Madison Ave,NYC back in the 70's 80's and i tried the most expensive caviar from Iran a few times but could never get to like it,and it was all for free..No more Krug Champagne served on Qatar?

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Caviar and roe is definitely not for everyone. Everyone I know is split on whether it’s great or disgusting 🤷‍♂️

[@lostmymag]

Even more ridiculous Qatar announced an update to their qsuite to qsuite next gen, when their entire fleet isn't even on the current product yet.

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

I too was surprised by that… all it’ll do is grow the divide between the cabins

[@C.D.Hackler]

This equipment change sans Q Suite seems to be a regular thing with Qatar; at least from what I have seen on KZbin the last few years.

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Yea… it’s tuff. Really killin their reputation. They used to be known for lavish and luxury and now their reputation is shifting to deceit

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Yea… it’s tuff. Really killin their reputation. They used to be known for lavish and luxury and now their reputation is shifting to deceit

[@JUVI9596]

You did a tri continental flight. Asia, over Africa to South America 😊

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Ha, yes! What a way to see the world….

[@JUVI9596]

@@PatrickSheaAviation I did the shortest one a few years ago. Istanbul to Cairo. Istanbul is in Europe, you fly over Mainland Turkey in Asia to Cairo in Africa

[@immiPlanet]

Well done, great video. Frankly I'd be incensed. They should offer a big refund but I'm sure they won't. I hear that Emirates is more consistent but I too would like to try Q-suite long haul, although I did experience it between Pakistan and Doha, and it really is special. However you are wrong about one thing. Karak Chai is fine but Saffron Chai is the game changer on Qatar Business class. Don't make me tell you twice! :)

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

I'll have to try Saffron Chai next time! Once they write me back about a refund...

[@EduardoSSilvaS]

Had the same unpleasant surprise flying GRU-DOH last year. Well, I guess everyone will get Qatar'ed eventually if you fly enough.

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Definitely. Totally sucks when it happens still

[@stone5048]

People rave about Hamad airport but it’s pretty awful for economy passengers in transit

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Honestly I’ve still enjoyed my economy layovers there as long as they’re only a few hours. I can kill time in the garden or grab some food and watch out the window

[@stone5048]

@@PatrickSheaAviation awful may be a bit harsh but only a bit. It’s not old LGA for example but it’s definitely not “best in the world.” Doubleso if you’re dealing with double bus gates

[@stevene465]

Great video Patrick as usual, they’ve done this to me several times and I hate it !!!!! They will never respond to you ( well maybe you ) as I had actually paid for Qsuite seat allocations for my entire family- I’ve never received a refund so I’m done with them until they get their act together- how premium is that route it looked empty in J ?

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Yea… I’m still trying to get a response from them weeks later which sucks. And J was 100% full until the email about downgrade came out

[@tasneemeddoo]

Got Patrick Shea saying inshallah before gta 6

[@qAr1a]

I had been Qatared several times but didn't matter much as i did not pay myself but yeah, it felt like QR is intentionally misleading passengers and charging premium price for those supposedly qsuite flights and then rerouting them somewhere else.

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Definitely bordering a lawsuit if they keep it up I’m sure. I’ll just stay posted for that class action… ha!

[@captainissy]

Qatar also acquired a 25% stake in southern Africas Airlink

[@kevin19358]

29:52, Indigo, Airbus A320neo from Mumbai to Singapore that I flew for the 1st time last July, 90% full, we departed and arrive on time, flight okay, 5 and a half hours on the longest Airbus A320neo, the crew is nice and okay, but unfortunately, no online check in (only domestic flights have online check in I think) it's very bumpy in the Bay of Bengal that lasted 2 hours because of bad weather, no streaming to my own device (In flight entertainment), no USB port (Cebu Pacific, Airbus A330-900neo have USB port, which is good on a long haul flight to Sydney, Melbourne and Dubai.) and no universal power outlet and no wifi. Originally I was looking forward to fly Indigo, Airbus A321neo from Mumbai to Singapore, but swap to Airbus A320neo, I was a little disappointed, but I cannot believe this is my 1st time that I flew the longest Airbus A320neo that can fly for 5 and a half hours, wow.

[@petek5523]

Bro, you got bamboozled 😅😢. No chance of any compensation eh?

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Trying… still haven’t heard back from them

[@JJ-vy2rh]

Changi airport has won it most of the last ten years, no indoor waterfall.

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

I do love Singapore and Changi Airport, but the Hamad Airport layover ain’t bad

[@garvingray]

After this video and contacting Qatar, you are more likely to get the Josh Cahill experience than any kind of apology or refund/credit

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Ha! If I get my money, I'll stay far away from them if that's their wish...

[@Khalid_alj1]

This route also popular between Arab diaspora in Brazil More than 20 million Arab Brazilian in brazil

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Definitely. Although there are more options for those connections. East Asia to Brazil is more limited

[@yvr2002rtw]

Sometimes Qatar Airways switches non-QSuite flights to QSuites just because some Qatari with high wasta decides to go on that flight. In cases like these, the QSuite aircraft would likely be swapped over from a route that has QSuites.

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Ha that makes me wonder… because the aircraft we were supposed to be on ended up flying more regionally… 🤔🤔🤔

[@yvr2002rtw]

@@PatrickSheaAviation I remember before the days of QSuite I was flying a regional route that was scheduled to be operated by the old 777 with the 2-2-2 seating. At checkin I was told that the aircraft was swapped to a 330-300 with “newer” seats which was still 2-2-2. Once onboard, most of the passengers were local men in traditional clothing.

[@davidbalcon8726]

Been Qatar’d three out of eight flights so no more love for this airline. BTW the QR/EK tiny nation international hub model is not new nor originated by the Middle Eastern/Gulf. It was actually pioneered by KLM/Schipol and in the 60/70s by CX and SQ all three based in countries with no domestic flights nor large population base. This is how these airlines could compete (and excel) with the older major ex-colonial airlines: BA, AF and LH.

[@warrenfreitag8631]

Anyone else grossed out by the apparent smog in Sao Paulo? Is it often like that?

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

It's fairly common in that area. It's typically because of industrial pollution and local burnings

[@taewonhwang5416]

I had similar experience with their route to ICN. Their fleet? swap..

[@soennecken8]

Ben and David do cruise videos. I suspect you might have met them. 3.10

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Interesting. I don't know if I have

[@DokiMin]

i'm still angry at Qatar after what happened to Josh Cahill

[@yoshimanmariokart4572]

Hoping they don't ban you for this, given they banned fellow trip vlogger Josh Cahill after posting a bad review.

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Honestly they’ve kinda tainted their reputation at this point. I do love the q suites but I won’t sweat over it if they do decide to silence me 🤷‍♂️

[@AnetaMihaylova-d6f]

You got unlucky. They switched it from A350 to 777-200LR which quite old

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Well 1 of the 2 daily flights will be. But not quite yet. It was discussed in there

[@equilibriumrebelado4893]

Qatar together with Emirates killed the flights of JAL and Korean Air to São Paulo with 747 :(

[@janellek21]

You got ripped off, Patrick. I hope you get properly compensated, but you shouldn't keep your hopes too high. Qatar doesn't recognise Israel so QR is off my radar for now, but I hope you get the opportunity to try the Q-Suite soon so the rest of us can live vicariously through you.

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

Thanks. Definitely hoping for some form of compensation…. But nothing from them yet

[@paultaylor1688]

Still unsure how they get 5 stars, this has happened to me a lot

[@PatrickSheaAviation]

$$$…